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The White Lotus checks into French Riviera for a fourth season: here’s where you’ll be staying

HBO Max White Lotus s4 starts filming

The White Lotus has officially checked into the French Riviera for its fourth season, with filming now under way across Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Monaco.

For a series that has made a habit of turning luxury destinations into characters in their own right, the Côte d’Azur feels like an especially inspired next stop. Season four will unfold over the course of a week during the Cannes Film Festival, giving creator Mike White a glittering playground of red carpets, yachts, paparazzi and Riviera decadence to work with. Paris will also host part of the shoot, though HBO says the story itself remains firmly rooted in the south of France.

Originally built as a lavish wedding gift, Airelles Château de la Messardière later became known for Gatsby-esque parties in the 1920s…

The real travel fantasy, though, lies in the hotels. This season’s principal White Lotus property is the Airelles Château de la Messardière, which will appear onscreen as the White Lotus du Cap. Perched high above Saint-Tropez, the 19th-century château is one of the Riviera’s most storied palace hotels, with sweeping views over the Gulf, expansive landscaped grounds and the sort of old-world glamour that seems perfectly suited to White’s blend of wealth and unease.

Its history is suitably cinematic. Originally built as a lavish wedding gift, it later became known for Gatsby-esque parties in the 1920s, and today remains one of the coast’s most iconic luxury retreats. Multiple pools, including a dedicated lap pool, make it easy to imagine those languid early-morning scenes before the day’s social dramas begin, while private access to Jardin Tropezina beach grounds the story in the barefoot elegance that defines modern Saint-Tropez.

Cannes, naturally, gets its own star turn through the Hôtel Martinez, which will feature as the White Lotus Cannes. Few addresses are more synonymous with Riviera showbiz than this Art Deco grande dame on the Boulevard de la Croisette. Opened in 1929, it has long served as a de facto backstage lounge for the film festival, its private beach and Michelin-starred dining room playing host to stars, producers and the occasional whispered deal long after the screenings end.

That setting should give the fourth season of The White Lotus a particularly playful sense of place. Cannes during festival week is a world unto itself, where luxury hospitality, celebrity culture and logistical chaos all coexist in a blur of tuxedos, tenders and flashbulbs. For travel-minded viewers, it’s likely to be catnip: the Croisette in full flow, Monaco’s polished glamour and Saint-Tropez’s hilltop serenity all wrapped into the series’ signature one-week pressure cooker.

The cast feels equally jet-set. New arrivals include Helena Bonham Carter, Vincent Cassel, Steve Coogan, Kumail Nanjiani, Heather Graham, Rosie Perez and Sandra Bernhard, among many others, giving the new season a distinctly international ensemble to match its globe-trotting location brief.

The White Lotus is created, written and directed by Mike White, with David Bernad and Mark Kamine returning as executive producers. Look for it on HBO Max in 2027.

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About Steve May

Creator of Home Cinema Choice magazine, and Editor of The Luxe Review, Steve muses and reviews for Trusted Reviews, T3, Home Cinema Choice, Games Radar, Good Housekeeping, Louder Sounds, StereoNet and Boat International. He’s also the editor of professional home cinema website Inside CI. He's on Twitter/X, Tiktok and Instagram as @SteveMay_UK